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Atlantis 1/1200 US Combat Task Force Fleet Review

ATLANTIS MODELS RE-RELEASES A VINTAGE COLLECTION KIT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY A RENWAL MODEL.  IT HASN'T BEEN AVAILABLE IN ABOUT SIX DECADES.  1/1200 SCALE IS A POPULAR ONE FOR GAMERS AND SMALL-SCALE NAVAL DIORAMA BUILDERS.  SHIP MODEL BUILDERS, COLLECTORS, GAMERS, HISTORIANS--THIS KIT IS FOR YOU!
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BY BILL ENGAR

HEADLINE 2022:  VINTAGE KIT DEPICTS A COLLECTION OF COLD WAR U.S. NAVY SHIPS – MODEL BUILDING EXPERIENCE HELPFUL – MOLDED IN GRAY PLASTIC THAT COULD BE LEFT UNPAINTED – EXPECT SOME PARTS CLEANUP  WITH A HOBBY KNIFE – BUILDERS WILL NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF MANY SMALL PARTS FOR 12 DIFFERENT SHIPS – DISPLAY ON AN INCLUDED SEA BASE – IT’S HISTORY IN A BOX!

ATLANTIS #R6300 -- 2022 MSRP US$39.99 -- 140 PARTS MOLDED IN LIGHT GRAY STYRENE PLASTIC -- GLUE FOR PLASTIC MODELS REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY (NOT INCLUDED) -- PAINT OPTIONAL, ALSO NOT INCLUDED -- RECOMMENDED FOR BUILDERS OVER 14 YEARS OF AGE

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A U.S. Navy task force
Renwal was a classic model kit company perhaps best known for their anatomy kits including Visible Man.  One of their big marketing features was “no-show gluing” where the kit was designed with glue-points in non-visible places.  If you were a very young builder in the 1950’s and 60’s, you probably remember the urge to use plenty of glue and the nasty tendency it had to get everywhere you didn’t want it.  Today, we call those models “glue bombs.”  Classic model kit company Renwal designed its kits with a “No Show” gluing technique and engineering.
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Atlantis' US Combat Task Force Fleet comes in a big 16" box.  Trivia Question:  The original Renwal artwork has been modified just a tad by Atlantis; what was changed?  We'll have the answer in our Bonus Features.
In addition to some pretty cool science models, Renwal had an eclectic line of armor subjects, cars, missiles, ships, and their “Aeroskin” early biplane series.  Revell got many Renwal molds when that company quit business and this tooling is now in the possession of Atlantis Models.
 
Prior to 2018, Revell chose to release a few Renwal subjects that hadn’t been seen in a long time and Atlantis continues that tradition since acquiring the tooling.
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Twelve ships; 140 parts.  The biggest ship, the Hornet aircraft carrier, is nearly nine inches long.  The smallest just a tad over three inches.
A Renwal kit that hasn’t been seen in six decades is the 1/1200 U.S. Navy Combat Fleet.  Atlantis Models has re-released this set as the US Combat Task Force Fleet.  It’s a set of 12 U.S. Navy ships in use when the model kit was first made.  Many of the ships were WWII survivors; some such as the aircraft carrier Hornet and guided missile cruiser Canberra represent WWII-era ships that had been substantially retrofit and upgraded for their 1950’s incarnations.

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Our historical material supplementing this review includes clips from declassified documents and images of newspaper front pages from 1962.
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The USS Hornet is the biggest ship in the set at nearly 9" long.  The airplanes are Skywarriors!
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The USS Washington was a North Carolina Class Battleship.  Note that the 16" guns and 5" guns are separate pieces.  These little ships have quite a bit of detail.
Since this set originally debuted, a few companies released other 1/1200 ship models and you can easily build a collection in this scale beyond the ships in the set.  Some of the ships in the set are actually available currently as larger scale ship model kits from Atlantis Models!
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The Canberra was a guided missile heavy cruiser.  This model is nearly 7" long in 1/1200 scale.
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 At top is the LST Eddy County with a hull length of 3-1/4".  The Dewey was a guided missile frigate.  Hull length just over 5".
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All ship models in the set are depicted with full hulls.  Some modelers like to display these small-scale ships waterline-style on a sea-base and it might take intermediate skills to cut or sand down the lower hulls for those builders so inclined.  The original version of the kit came with a vacuum-formed ocean base where the finished ships could be inserted in slots made to fit the ships up to the waterline.  Atlantis considered including this base with the kit, but it likely would have added a few dollars to the kit price and they ultimately decided to include the printed “sea base” on the bottom of the box that can be used to display your finished models.  It’s a simple cost-saver that keeps the retail price low.  Dividing the $39.99 retail cost of the set yields $3.33 per model.  You simply can’t find 1/1200 ships at those low prices anywhere nowadays.  Maybe you could 30-40 years ago, but certainly not in 2022!
These models are vintage kits from the 1950’s and builders can anticipate some flash, sinkholes, and minor parts fit issues.  A little experience cleaning up small parts and gluing them in their proper places will be helpful. There's really nothing apparent that will create anything other than a pleasurable, easy build for those who can handle a hobby knife, model glue, and optional painting.  The ships are already molded in light gray plastic and if the builder doesn’t wish to paint them, the set can be completed in a couple evenings or so.  Quality of molding is in line with the other 1/1200-scale ships that are easily found in hobby shops today.
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Here's a closeup look at the top of that LST, Eddy County, LST-759.  The detailing is very nice for a 3" model!  Over 1000 LST's were built during WWII.  To come up with enough names, the Navy decided to name them after counties in the United States.  There are over 3000 counties in the USA!
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The USS Rankin was an attack-cargo ship.  4.5" long here.  Note that eight individual tank landing craft (LCT's) are included!
Since there are twelve ships and each has small parts, I’d recommend getting a set of “snack” style Ziploc (or similar)  bags unless you plan to build each ship one-at-a-time.  Use a Sharpie pen to label 12 bags with the names of the ships and keep all the parts for each ship separated in these bags.  A regular sandwich-style bag might be needed for the battleship and aircraft carrier hulls, but those won’t be hard to mix up with the other ships.
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The attack transport ship Navarro and destroyer Barry.  These models are about 4.5" and 4" respectively.
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On this sprue can be found the destroyer The Sullivans and USS Patrick Henry, both about 3.75" long.  Many aspects of the Patrick Henry were still top-secret when the set debuted.
The builder who decides to take a little more time and paint the hulls below the waterlines will be rewarded with a nice-looking set of models.  Correctly applied paint on a model always reduces the typical slightly translucent look of plastic and enhances detail.  Adding some judicious weathering to bring out these details even further will make this a striking set whether or not the more advanced builder decides to add any additional scratch-build details using materials like plastic sheeting or wire.  Perhaps the AMS crowd (Advanced Modelers Syndrome) can acid-etch their own photoetch railings and antennas and provide a microscope so the viewer can see them.
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Like the Canberra, The Galveston (hull at top) was a WWII ship that was given a second life in this case as a guided missile light cruiser.  Hull length is just over 6".  Destroyer escort William T. Powell is at bottom.  At just a hair over 3" in length, it's the smallest ship in the set.
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The superstructure of the USS Washington battleship.  Porthole and hatch details can be seen; not at all bad for 1/1200 scale!
How big are the models?  1/1200 scale means that 1 inch equals 100 feet on the model.  Calculating length of the model versus length of the ship in this scale is actually very easy if you know the length of the ship.  The biggest ship, the Hornet aircraft carrier, is 876 feet long and the model is 8.76 inches, or just a hair bigger than 8-3/4 inches.  The smallest ship in the set, the destroyer escort William T. Powell, is just over three inches long; the real ship is 306 feet.
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Most of the decals are used for the USS Hornet's flightdeck markings.  Fleet numbers for the rest of the ships are also included.
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We found an interesting quirk in the instruction sheet.  We noticed that the planes in the small photograph of the Hornet in the instructions appear to be facing the stern of the aircraft carrier.  This would never happen on a modern aircraft carrier!  Aircraft, jets in particular, must always take off and land facing the front of the carrier.    Let's just say this very subtle detail was first noticed by a former military officer/pilot (he's a valuable part of our 2Modeler staff and we are grateful to him for crossing our t's and dotting our i's--we strive to bring you the very best!).  We have to admit that this is an awfully insignificant nitpick.  We'll say it's the only imperfection we can find.  This kit is just basically awesome!
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Instructions are a large foldout printed on a high-quality glossy bond paper in 2-color ink.  Artwork appears to be vintage Renwal.  Each ship has a descriptive paragraph.  In our bonus features, we'll elaborate on each ship's history including many important historic events where the ships participated after the original Renwal set was released.  An example is the Cuban Missile Crisis.  We were surprised at the numbers of these ships that were called to action to support the naval blockade ordered by President Kennedy after it was discovered that the USSR was installing nuclear ballistic missiles in Cuba.
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​This is a very cool set of U.S. Navy ships; it’s a collection-in-a-box!  It’s great to have it back after a long absence.  2Modeler.com enthusiastically gives this model four thumbs up and the average ship model builder, gamer, history buff, collector, or fan of unusual model kits will love this model!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ATLANTIS MODELS FOR PROVIDING THIS MODEL KIT FOR US TO REVIEW AND ENJOY!
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BONUS FEATURES

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"Pay attention, there's a test later."  You knew the answer to this one.  At left is the original artwork for the Renwal U.S. Navy Combat Fleet that Atlantis used when they first announced the kit in November, 2020.  The original kit had a vacuum-formed display base.  A more economical alternative that works just as well was to simply print a sea base on the bottom of the box!  Note how well the artwork was modified to reflect the change in the display base!  Isn't Photoshop great?!

THE NAVY TASK FORCE
Capital ships such as aircraft carriers and battleships would rarely if ever cruise alone.  Atlantis Models’ US Navy Task Force Set roughly corresponds to what one would consider a Carrier Battle Group or Carrier Strike Group.  An aircraft carrier needs to maximize space for air operations and it is left to other ships in the battle group to provide vital defense and support functions in a task force environment.  Cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and supply ships provide protection from potential air or sea threats and keep the task force stocked, maintained, and fueled.  Often, one or more attack submarines will be assigned to stealthily shadow the group from beneath the ocean’s surface.
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Aurora Models had its own Navy set composed of a collection of models previously sold separately.  BoxArtDen image.
Personnel on board the support ships know their chief role is to protect the carrier at all costs .  Their ships are considered expendable assets to be sacrificed if survival of the carrier can be guaranteed no other way.  While life on the carriers has been compared to that of a small city, the crews on the destroyers and frigates live with limited amenities and a rough ride in heavy seas compared to the much larger ships.
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Revell also did some ship mini-collections.  Again, these ships were from their regular kit line, so they were bigger models, and not in the same scale.  Revell of Germany re-released a version of this set as part of their collectible 50-year anniversary series.  These are BoxArtDen images.
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Lindberg has released some number of small-scale ship kits over the years.  Note that with this release they're honest about the scale on the boxtop.  Other releases proclaim the carrier, cruiser and battleship to be 1/1200 scale.  Oh well--they're close!
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In this set from a few years later, the Revell USS Boston, actually a conversion of their USS Helena Baltimore Class cruiser, appears as the Canberra.  The Ranger is their spectacular Forrestal-Class kit and the Forest Sherman is included, which is now available as a current release from Atlantis Models.
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Renwal released their Navy ships set in smaller collections labeled "A" and B."
MORE ABOUT THE SHIPS IN THE SET
 
The instructions in Atlantis' US Task Force Fleet model kit include a paragraph about each ship.  Here, we include some additional information about the ships particularly their involvement in historical events since the set was made.  We were surprised at how many of the ships were mobilized in support of the naval blockade placed around Cuba to prevent any additional Soviet ships from offloading additional ballistic missile components during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October, 1962.  We decided to use that as a theme for this article.  Many of the historic ships in this 1/1200-scale set are also kits that Atlantis Models makes in larger scales!  We'll include information about those kits as well.
​BATTLESHIP USS WASHINGTON (BB-56
The USS Washington was a North Carolina-class battleship.  Atlantis Models makes the North Carolina in 1/500 scale, also a former Renwal kit.  This is a much larger model than the Washington included in this naval set.  Brand-new at the outset of WWII, the Washington was quickly sent to Europe to protect convoys supplying the Soviet Union.  With minimal need for its capabilities there, it was transferred to the Pacific War where it earned a total of 13 battle stars for its participation in many campaigns.  As the Renwal U.S. Navy set was being made, the Washington was part of the Navy’s reserve fleet and under consideration for modernization.  The cost was deemed too great and in 1961, the ship was sold for scrap.  Her sister ship, the North Carolina, has been preserved as a museum ship that can be seen in Wilmington, NC.


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All the Atlantis boxtops you see in this article are linked to the kits at Atlantis-Models.com.  Check them out!
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​AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS HORNET (CV-12)
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The Hornet was an Essex Class aircraft carrier commissioned in late 1943 when it immediately assumed combat duties in the Pacific War.  State-of-the-art during WWII with many additional ships completed after war’s end, the Essex class carriers became a significant part the U.S. Navy’s post-war operations receiving many upgrades such as an angled carrier deck as seen on the Atlantis version of the 1/1200 Hornet.  The Hornet was the recovery ship for Apollo 11, the first spacecraft that landed men on the Moon in 1969.  It is a museum ship today in Alameda, CA.  Atlantis Models has a 1/500 Ticonderoga, a modernized Essex class carrier in 1/500 scale, same as the North Carolina.

​MISSILE CRUISER USS CANBERRA (CA-70
The Canberra was a WWII-era Baltimore Class heavy cruiser from 1943 later upgraded to a Boston Class missile cruiser.  It participated in the naval blockade during the tense Cuban Missile Crises and later served in Vietnam.  The ship was decommissioned in 1970.  Atlantis Models offers a WWII-configured Baltimore Class cruiser, the USS Pittsburgh.  This former Revell kit is in 1/490 scale, so it’s very close scale-wise to the 1/500 Ticonderoga and North Carolina!  You'll be surprised at how many of the kits in the Atlantis US Combat Task Force Fleet you can get in 1/500 scale or close to it!
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​MISSILE CRUISER USS GALVESTON (CL-93)
The USS Galveston is another guided missile cruiser converted from an earlier class of ship, in this case a Cleveland Class light cruiser.  These ships originally entered service starting early in WWII.  The Galveston was still being fitted out at the end of WWII but became the lead ship for conversion as a Talos guided missile cruiser.  The Talos was designed as a surface-to-air missile but also proved effective in anti-ship applications.  We've attached a BoxArtDen image of Renwal's USS Galveston in 1/500 scale.  It was last released by Revell in 2016 as the USS Springfield, a sister ship.  Maybe this tooling set is now with Atlantis, so perhaps we'll see this one again some day.
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​USS Dewey (DLG-14) GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER
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 The Dewey was a Farragut-Class guided missile destroyer that was state-of-the-art when the Renwal U.S. Navy Ships Set was first made.  Commissioned in 1959, it served the US Navy until 1990.  In addition to Terrier Missiles, the ship had an 8-tube ASROC (Anti Submarine Rocket) launcher and was capable of launching Mk 32 torpedoes.  Renwal actually made the USS King, a 1/500 Farragut Class guided missile destroyer.  Revell released the kit a few years ago.  Perhaps Atlantis now has the molds and may release it sometime in the future.
​USS Barry (DD993) DESTROYER
The Barry is a Postwar Forest Sherman-Class destroyer.  The Barry became a sub-class lead ship for an anti-submarine mission upgrade.  During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Barry stalked a Soviet submarine and performed surveillance on a Soviet merchant vessel, intimidating it away from the area quarantined against Soviet shipping.  The Barry became a museum ship in 1984 and was initially a popular tourist attraction in the Washington DC area.  However, during the 1990’s, visits declined and by 2016, maintenance expenses could not be justified.  Unfortunately, the Barry was sent to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for scrapping.  The unfortunate demise of the Barry is a reminder that the future of any museum ship is never guaranteed!

Atlantis Models has the USS Forest Sherman, a sister ship to the Barry.  It’s a former Revell kit and nicely detailed in 1/320 scale.


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​USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537) DESTROYER
The destroyer USS The Sullivans was a Fletcher Class vessel that entered Navy duty in 1943 during WWII.  The ship was named after five brothers who all died on November 13, 1942 when their ship, the USS Juneau, was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Guadalcanal.  USS The Sullivans earned 11 battle stars in WWII and the Korean War.  The Sullivans was kept busy after WWII as a training ship but received assignments to assist with Project Mercury, The Cuban Missile Crisis, and investigations of the USS Thresher accident.  She served through 1965 and was preserved as a museum ship in Buffalo, NY.  Fletcher Class ships are popular model kit subjects.  One of Revell’s early ship models was a Fletcher Class destroyer.  This is another kit that Atlantis might be able to release at some point in the future
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​USS WILLIAM T. POWELL (DE-213)
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USS William T. Powell was a Buckley Class destroyer escort.  This is the smallest of the ships in the Atlantis Combat Task force fleet at just over three inches long.  These small ships could be built quickly and in great numbers.  For example, from the time the William T. Powell first had its keel laid down to commissioning into action was just seven months.  An Essex Class carrier took at least 2-3 times as long.  Main armament was a trio of 3-inch guns capable of firing anti-aircraft, armor piercing, or illumination flare “star shell” rounds.  The Buckley class ships were potent in the antisubmarine role making them effective at protecting a carrier task force or merchant ship convoy.  Revell actually made a Buckley Class destroyer escort kit in 1/250 scale.  Perhaps someday soon, we’ll see this model again in an Atlantis box.
​USS EDDY COUNTY (LST-759)
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LST’s (Landing Ship, Tank) are a key component of a sea-to-land invasion force.  Their important mission with the U.S. Navy makes them an appropriate part of the Atlantis Combat Task Force Fleet model kit.  Perhaps the most amazing thing about the LST is that prior to WWII, the ship type did not even exist.  By the end of the war, over 1000 had been built.  It is perhaps best known for its role in Operation Overlord, The Battle of Normandy where 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel into continental Europe on June 6, 1944.  The virtue of the landing ship was that it was able to quickly disembark fully armed troops onshore with no dock or pier needed.  Many LST’s were named after counties in the United States; both New Mexico and North Dakota had an Eddy County.
​USS RANKIN (AKA-103)
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The USS Rankin was a Tolland Class attack cargo ship that would be part of a flotilla supporting a land invasion.  From keel-laying to commission for duty, the Rankin was made ready in just four short months late in WWII.  It played a vital wartime logistics role transporting items like landing craft and ammunition to forward campaign areas (your 1/1200 USS Rankin model has eight landing craft on its deck).  During the Battle of Okinawa, the ship offloaded ammunition in the midst of constant air raids by the Japanese including attempted kamikaze attacks.  The Rankin was also called to duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was designated as a backup recovery ship supporting the Apollo 8 circumlunar flight in 1968.  The ship was finally decommissioned in the early 1970’s.  Renwal actually made a Tolland Class attack cargo ship in 1/500 scale.  
USS  NAVARRO (APA-215)
The Navarro was a Haskell-Class amphibious assault ship that would play a key role in a ship-to-shore troop deployment.  The ship could carry and deploy 25 landing craft with a total capability of disembarking 1500 fully armed troops to a beach.  The Navarro was finished just in time to participate in the Battle of Okinawa in the South Pacific late in WWII.  Navarro was recommissioned in 1950 and participated in a number of landing rehearsals.  The ship landed troops during the Vietnam war, receiving a Meritorious Unit Commendation award from the Secretary of the Navy for her actions.  The ship was finally decommissioned in 1969 and stored in the reserve fleet for possible use if needed until 1982.  Revell made a Haskell-Class ship, the Montrose, also released as the Randall.  It’s one of their vintage kits in 1/376 scale and could possibly be somewhere in Atlantis’ tooling stash.  It’s another classic we’d like to see them do some time if they have the molds.
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​PATRICK HENRY (SSBN-599)
The Patrick Henry was a George Washington Class ballistic missile submarine.  These were the first modern ballistic missile submarines in the US Navy.  They could carry 16 Polaris nuclear missiles.  With overall firepower approaching up to 10 megatons of thermonuclear ordnance, the Patrick Henry represented the pinnacle of undersea deterrent weaponry when the Renwal Navy Task Force model kit was first released.  Renwal released a spectacular model of the USS George Washington in 1/200 scale.  It had a full interior and was bigger than Revell’s Polaris sub, which was 1/252 scale (it has a full interior as well).  It is hoped that Atlantis Models has one or more of these tooling sets and we can see these models again from them some time; both are very cool models.
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​THE EVOLUTION OF SEA POWER – AND THE ATLANTIS NAVAL MODELS THAT COMMEMORATE IT
The era of the modern battleship was born on March 09, 1862 when the USS Monitor met the CSS Virginia in a furious exchange of cannonfire.  They were the first ironclad ships to meet in battle.  Their armor was highly effective and even though the battle was a draw, it was acknowledged that the wooden warship, which had been the pinnacle of naval combat for centuries, was entirely obsolete.  This event is perfectly portrayed by the Atlantis Models Monitor and Merrimac (the Virginia’s Union Navy name) naval battle diorama set.  Don’t miss our separate review for this kit which represents well this key event in the history of naval power.
For over three quarters of a century, the armored warship reigned supreme as the power of the cannon evolved into the rifled long-barrel battleship main gun.  An early WWII battleship engagement of particular interest to modelers is the combined Battle of the Denmark Strait and the Hunt for the Bismarck.  Nazi Germany’s new Battleship Bismarck quickly destroyed and sank the HMS Hood on May 24, 1940.  Hood had been the world’s largest battleship for twenty years after it was built.  The Bismarck’s supremacy was very short lived, however.  Just three days later during the Hunt for the Bismarck, the Bismarck was attacked by obsolete Fairey Swordfish biplanes flying off the HMS Invincible.  
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Check out our review of this kit.  Included is a lot of material about the Battle of the Ironclads and the development about the first armored ships to face each other in battle.
A torpedo dropped by one of the Swordfishes disabled the Bismarck’s rudder, with what was probably a lucky shot.  Unable to maneuver, Bismarck received quick retribution for the loss of the Hood by a British armada.  Perhaps it was irony that the state-of-the-art Bismarck was dispatched by the antiquated "Stringbag" Swordfish biplane, but the symbolism of the Battleship passing the torch to the aircraft carrier as the supreme projection of naval power was literally demonstrated during this three-day series of naval engagements.  At time-of-posting, Atlantis Models was just releasing its 16” (1/612 scale) model of the Bismarck.  A former Monogram kit, it has not been available in nearly half a century! 
If there were any doubts that the power of the airplane would challenge the big guns of the battleship, they were fully laid to rest after the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the U.S. Pacific Fleet berthed at Pearl Harbor in late 1941.  The Japanese strike force consisted of six aircraft carriers, three cruisers, two battleships, nine destroyers, eight tankers, and 23 fleet submarines, five of which carried midget-subs.  353 Japanese aircraft crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet.  Nearly 200 American aircraft were destroyed.  It was the largest naval armada ever assembled at that time.  The battleships never fired a shot during the battle.
Battleships were still an important part of combat operations in WWII with their big guns capable of heavy offshore bombardment. The USS Iowa’s guns could send a 1900-pound round 24 miles inland.  Atlantis Models makes a big, 20" USS Iowa, formerly a classic Revell kit in 1/535-scale from a tooling set that was unused by Revell for decades.  At posting, they are preparing to release the Monogram 16” Iowa Class battleship Wisconsin, another kit that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while.  The scale of this kit is 1/665 and coincidentally, the length of the model is the same as the diameter of the actual ship’s main guns! 
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M3008 Bismarck Battleship is formerly a Monogram kit that has not been available since its first release in 1977!  Monogram had a nice series of 16" ships and we're happy to see classic kits from this series available again.
The last major engagement between battleships occurred during the 1944 Leyte Gulf invasion in the Battle of Surigao Strait, which occurred on October 25, 1944.  As World War II ended, it was apparent that the aircraft carrier would replace the battleship as the key capital ship in a naval task force fleet.
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Of course the mighty Bismarck was gone before the USS Wisconsin first sailed, but the two Atlantis models from the 16" series will look great together on your shelf!
Submarines played an important antishipping role since WWI.  The infamous German U-Boats of that war played havoc with supply lines.  The submarine evolved; boats like the USS Gato were effective weapons and the USS Archerfish, a newer Balao class boat, sunk the large Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano, which still remains the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine.  Atlantis Models has the Gato, a former Lindberg kit that has its roots as one of the earliest plastic models and perhaps the first plastic ship model.  A company called Varney actually released it initially in 1945!
The Submarine’s Achilles heel was that it had to stay near the surface to replenish its air supply and charge its batteries.  The USS Nautilus was launched in 1954 with the first operational nuclear reactor providing all power needs including air recycling.  This innovation allowed a submarine to stay submerged for months on end.  The amazing thing about the Nautilus was that it was not just a research vessel; it served as a viable attack submarine for over 25 years!  The Nautilus is also an Atlantis model kit (we assisted with the kit’s development including input on the decal sheet which includes the navy’s citation letters that the ship received as awards for efficiency and readiness)
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Truly a historic kit, Atlantis' Gato Fleet Submarine model actually traces its roots back to 1945!
Nuclear power gave the submarine a powerful ability to hide underwater for extended periods.  The next milestone for the technology was adding nuclear ballistic missiles.  The George Washington was originally laid down as the Skipjack class attack submarine  Scorpion.  The Skipjack boats added the innovation of the teardrop-shaped hull with a circular cross section.  This shape had superior handling underwater and could withstand deeper dives.  
Construction as an attack sub was interrupted and the hull had a large center section essentially spliced in with a “turtleback” top.  This addition allowed 16 Polaris ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads to be carried.  A nuclear strike capability could now be hidden underwater for months where it would be very difficult to detect and could move stealthily anywhere in Earth’s oceans.  Atlantis Models’ Task Force set includes the Patrick Henry, a George Washington-class submarine in 1/1200 scale.
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We have an extensive history page on the Atlantis USS Nautilus Submarine model and the other early Nautilus sub kits that has been one of the most popular pages on our website.  Don't miss it!
Originally built as a conversion from the Skipjack attack subs, the George Washington and its sister submarines were followed by several other classes of ballistic missile submarines that increased capabilities, capacities, and stealth.  Starting in the late 1970’s, the Ohio Class submarines were built and they currently represent the U.S. fleet of ballistic missile-firing subs.
The Ohio Class submarines can carry 24 Trident II missiles.  Each of the 24 Tridents can carry up to 12 W88 thermonuclear warheads (hydrogen bombs) with a maximum explosive yield of 475 kt each, or nearly half a megaton.  By our calculations, that comes to a maximum of nearly 300 warheads per submarine with a total combined firepower nearly 10,000 times that of the 15-kiloton bomb that devastated Hiroshima.  There are 18 Ohio Class boats currently in service—and that’s only 1/3 or our so-called “Nuclear Triad” which includes air-delivered nuclear munitions and ground-based nuclear missiles.
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We also have an extensive history/review page on the Atlantis 1/535 USS Iowa kit.  Check it out!
Nuclear power was also applied to surface ships.  A destroyer and handful of cruisers were built with nuclear propulsion but their costs were prohibitive for any further development and all have been decommissioned for some years.  Aircraft carriers were a different story.  The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier.  Like the Nautilus, the Enterprise doubled as a proof-of-concept vessel for the technology yet served as a fully effective front-line aircraft carrier for over half a century.  
The Enterprise was to be first of a class of six ships, but expenses during construction ballooned unexpectedly and the Enterprise remained one-of-a-kind.  An X-plane that actually became a well-used combat aircraft would be highly unusual (if not unprecedented), but that's essentially what happened with the Enterprise.  The Nimitz design used lessons learned from the Enterprise and ten Nimitz Class ships were built.  These ships can carry up to 90 Navy aircraft.  Like Nuclear submarines, the ships can cruise for years without the need to refuel.
 

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​The Gerald Ford-Class aircraft carriers utilize a hull similar to the Nimitz class ships but have an advanced electromagnetic catapult system for launching planes that replaces the old steam-based system.  The new carriers can launch 25% more aircraft in a day than the Nimitz ships with 25% less crew needed.  New Gerald Ford-class ships will replace the Nimitz ships one-for-one as they are finished.

 
On the U.S. Navy’s horizon are laser weapons, rail guns and stealth surface ships.  Two Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers have been finished; the lead ship Zumwalt has been commissioned with Navy personnel now evaluating the technology in an operational environment.
1/1200 SCALE
 
For fans of 1/1200-scale ship models, the announcement of the Atlantis US Combat Task Force Fleet was the biggest news in years!  1/1200 scale has been around for a while and has become popular for wargaming, inexpensive pocket-money model kits, task force dioramas, or those modelers who don't wish to take up a lot of display space with a model ship fleet.  Possibly the biggest manufacturer of these is currently Revell which makes some of these ships as waterline models and some with full hulls.  Some of the kits we'll mention aren't currently available, but they'll return eventually and aren't hard to find now on the secondary market (eBay).  Another 1/1200-scale phenomenon of recent years is the number of 3D-printed models available.  You could find a number of additional models this way to add to your Atlantis US Combat Task Force Fleet set.  Again, eBay is an easy source.
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There is a small line of 1/1200 ocean liner kits with Titanic and Queen Mary 2 among the most notable.  At 1/1200 scale, the Essex Class carrier Hornet is about the same length as the Titanic.  Queen Mary 2 will dwarf the Essex at nearly a foot long.  You may find it interesting to add these two ships to your Atlantis Navy Task Force some time to display the differences in relative size between the military ships and the preeminent ocean liner of the past and one of today’s
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Another interesting addition would be an Ohio Class battleship.  In the past, Revell has made a 1/1200 USS Missouri.  The WWII Enterprise, CV-6, has also been released by Revell in 1/1200 and would would be an interesting display alongside the battleship USS Washington in your Atlantis navy task force set.  Revell also makes a 1/1200 USS Nimitz, a current nuclear powered aircraft carrier that will dwarf the USS Hornet in your Atlantis set!
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The most amazing 1/1200-scale naval kit EVER released--and you can get it from Atlantis Models now!
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SCROLL ON DOWN JUST A BIT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE'VE GOT GOING AT 2MODELER.COM.  ADD US TO YOUR FAVORITES!
Check back often!  We have a lot of cool upcoming content!


NEW:


Oct 2022:  Atlantis 1/48 JS-III Stalin Tank Kit Review!
Sept 2022:  Atlantis 1/32 Tom Daniel Funny Cars Kit Review!
August 2022:  Atlantis 1/665 USS Wisconsin Kit Review!
August 2022:  Atlantis 1/618 D.K.M. Bismarck Kit Review!
​29 July 2022:  D&H Cyclops and Chariot From Lost in Space Kit Review!
16 July 2022:  Moebius Hal 9000 Review YouTube Video!
07 June 2022:  Atlantis 1/135 Convair 990 Airliner Kit Review!
01 June 2022:  Atlantis 1/24 Son of Troublemaker Kit Review!
​21 May 2022:  Atlantis 1/1200 US Combat Task Force Fleet Kit Review!
14 May 2022:  Atlantis 1000/1 The Amoeba Kit Review!
06 May 2022:  Atlantis Air-Land-Sea Gift Set!
26 April 2022:  Atlantis 1/139 Boeing 707-120 Kit Review!
25 April 2022:  Atlantis 1/77 F-89D Kit Review!
22 April 2022:  Atlantis 1/245 Monitor and Merrimac Civil War Set
15 January 2022:  Dream Gear 1/3000 Arkhitect Review!  Landmark new kit includes integrated lighting!
15 December 2021:  Atlantis 1/8 Forgotten Prisoner Review!
10 December 2021:  New Atlantis 1/96 Moon Ship Review
01 December 2021:  NEW Minicraft Kit Releases!
30 November 2021:  Atlantis 1/139 707 Kit Update
25 November 2021:  Atlantis 1/54 F11F-1 Cougar Kit Review
15 November 2021:  Convair 1/135 990 Test Shot from Atlantis!
September 2021:  NEW 1/25 Atlantis King Kong Kit Review
September 2021:  Minicraft 1/200 "Spruce Goose" Review and History
September 2021:  Minicraft 1/48 T-41 Review Update
September 2021:  Minicraft 1/144 F-51 Review
September 2021:  NEW Atlantis 1/32 1982 Camaro Review!
August 2021:  Minicraft 1/144 B-52 (Current Flying) Review
August 2021:  Minicraft 1/144 E-3/E-8 AWACS/J-STARS Review

July 2021:  New Atlantis 1/300 Nautilus Review updates our Nautilus history page!
July 2021:  Revell's Gemini Spacecraft Kits History
June 2021:  Minicraft 1/350 RMS Titanic Review
12 May 2021:  Titanic Models List!  One Movie.  Lots of Titanics.
29 April 2021:  Snoopy vs Red Baron live on YouTube!
15 March 2021:  Atlantis Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel Lands -- What Happens when they meet The Red Baron?
12 March 2021:  Atlantis 1/120 B-29 Review!  New Kit!  
08 March 2021:  Minicraft 1/144 B-24J / PB4Y-1 / B-24D Review!
10 February 2021:  Moebius 1/144 Discovery on YouTube!
07 February 2021:  Guest Gallery!  See our pals' models!
05 February 2021:  Moebius 1/144 Discovery XD-1 Review
Will the Utah Monolith stay vertical this time?
05 January 2021:  Hawk Beta-I Atomic Bomber Rebuild!
28 December:  Bill's Airliner Gallery! 
19 December:  Just in time for Christmas!  Atlantis Phantom of the Opera with Glow-in-the-dark Parts!
13 December:  Godzilla Returns Again!  Atlantis Godzilla with Glow-in-the-Dark Parts!
30 November:  Revell KC-135 and 707 Kit History!
23 November:  Minicraft 1/144 C-18A/707 Kit Review!
Another feature in our series about the KC-135/707!

12 November:  Atlantis Mr Gasser Review updated photos
09 November:  Dick's Lindberg XB-70 Restoration
09 November:  Monogram Air Power Set YouTube Video!
30 October:  Special Project:  Monogram's 1959 Air Power Set! (web page)
09 October:  A Review of Minicraft's KC-135 Kits continues our special series on the KC-135 (feature in-progress).
28 September:  Let's Play Battleship!  Atlantis 1/535 Iowa Class Kits review - and bonus comparison between Revell's USS Missouri and Atlantis Iowa Class Battleship kits!

20 September:  Kit History --  Revell 1/535 USS Missouri
07 September:  Ship It!  Academy 1/700 Titanic ICP Kit Review
22 August:  Revell's All-New PT-109 Elco PT Boat Kit Review
13 August:  KC-135 History Series Part II - AMT's 1/72 Kit:  It's In There
04 August:  Dueling Subchasers-- Atlantis S2F Hunter Killer Review
29 July:  Kit Review and History:  Atlantis Models P-3A Orion
26 July:  Book reviews:  The Vintage Years of Airfix Box Art by Roy Cross
A Weird-Oh World - The Art of Bill Campbell by Bill Campbell

24 July:  DEM BRUDDERS GO OFF THE DEEP END WITH THEIR  ATLANTIS PBY CATALINA KIT VIDEO REVIEW!
22 July:  Why Buy a PBY:  Atlantis PBY-5A Catalina Web Review!

09 July:  No shyin' away from the Cheyenne:  Atlantis AH-56 Cheyenne Kit Web Review
06 July:  Rank the Lanc:  Minicraft Lancaster MK-1 Kit Review
17 June:  88 Reasons:  Minicraft Ju-88A/C Kit Review
16 June:  We Dug the Jug:  Minicraft P-47D Kit Review
15 June:  DICK DOES CARS!  Dick's Car Gallery!
10 June: 
Minicraft RB-29 Review Updated!  Minicraft's Own Lewis Nace Builds an Amazing B-29 Conversion Collection!
05 June:  Minicraft 1/144 B-17 Kit Review!
03 June:  The Big Stick:  Atlantis' B-36 Kit Review!
30 May:  Minicraft A6M2 Zero Kit Review in 1/144
26 May:  Dem Brudders On Youtube!  Watch our Atlantis Ah-56 Cheyenne review. (We're a little disappointed with our new spokesman Roddy Redshirt.  When we find all his pieces, we might not use him again.)
22 May:  The Girl Next Door:  Minicraft 1/144 G4M1 "Betty" Kit Review
20 May:  Unmasking the Avenger:  Minicraft 1/144 TBF Avenger Kit Review
18 May:  B young!  B-29 again!  Minicraft RB-29 Superfortress "Postwar" Kit Review - We've expanded content on this page!
06 May:  KC-135/707 Kit History Series Begins!

27 April:  Enter the Mentor:  Minicraft T-34A Mentor kit Review. 
24 March:  See Dick.  See Dick build.  See  Dick's Large Aircraft Gallery.  Build, Dick, Build.
04 March:  Eat all your vegetables.  Open-Box New Kit Review:  Atlantis HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant"  
06 February:  Requiem for Mad Magazine: Aurora/Revell Alfred E. Neuman Kit History
12 December:  BEECH TRIP!!!  Minicraft's Civilian Aircraft Product Line

20 November:  More pictures added to Dick's Yo-Yo page:  B-24J Liberator "Yo-Yo" - Custom-Painting a 1/48 Diecast Model
20 November:  IPMS/SLC Group Build, Italy/Bulgaria Theme!
12 November:  We welcome Minicraft Models as our first sponsor!
​07 November:  We've again expanded our Report on the 2019 IPMS/USA Nationals in Chattanooga, TN!
15 October:  IPMS Boise Mad Dog Modelers Fall Show!

13 September 2019:  Aerial Photography for a Song:  The Estes AstroCam 110
28 August:  Kit Review - Atlantis 1/92 B-24J Liberator Bomber 
01 August:  We continue our Apollo at 50 celebrations by kicking off our new model rocketry page, and ask:
​Apollo at 50:  Was it Worth It?
20 JULY 2019:  HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY, APOLLO 11 (We don't think you look a day over 40)!  Revell's Apollo Spacecraft Kits
25 June:  A New Blog Post:  Join us at the IPMS/USA Nationals!
19 June:  Build a Resin Figure Kit.  Dick shows step-by-step how he built Anime subject Mew Zakuro
15 May:  Smokey and the Bandit:  MPC's 1977 Pontiac Trans Am
25 April: 
History of Armor Modeling with pals James Guld and John Tate
03 April:  Car Modeling in the 1970's expands our History Series
26 March:  Kit Review--1/350 Space Ark from When Worlds Colllide
17 March:  Weird-oh's, Finks, Flypoggers, and More!  We continue our History Series with our various encounters in the Monster Figures craze of the 1960s
10 March:  Our First Kit Review!  Tamiya 1/48 Army Staff Car - Are we too hard on a Tamiya kit?
​23 February:  The Nuclear Family:  SSN Nautilus 571 - About the Lindberg, Revell, and Aurora Kits
15 February:  DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME I - Dick Builds a Batmobile--in 1/3 Scale!
13 February:  Modeling Outside the Box.  Dick goes all over the place, building a number of unusual subjects!
04 February:  NASCAR or Not?  Monogram's Days of Thunder Cars
31 January:  History Series Begins With The Aurora Monsters
27 January:  Build a P-82 in 1/144 Scale or Other Crazy Conversion
13 January:  The Anti-Modelers
05 January 2019:  The Day I Quit Modeling
01 January 2019:  dembrudders.com is live!!!

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    • Atlantis Air-Land-Sea Gift Set
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    • ATLANTIS 1/25 King Kong Kit Review
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    • Academy Titanic 1/700 MCP Review
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    • A Weird-Oh World - The Art of Bill Campbell
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